Defining characteristics of online-only news websites: a case study on the St. Louis Beacon

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This thesis examines the ways that traditional newspaper journalism practice seeps into online-only news Websites. More specifically, this study focuses on The St. Louis Beacon, an online-only start-up news site, and the affect that The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has had on their past experience as journalists as well as their current newsroom organization, practice, and content decision-making in the relatively new world of online-only news content. Findings indicate that the traditional journalism practices and standards of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch have influenced the way that the staff at The Beacon has chosen to run their newsroom operation and make decisions about content. The conclusion indicates that future research should strive to understand more about the audience of online-only news websites and how they perceive online only news and news practices.